Page 26 of Deceptive Vows
With a nod, a smile crept onto his face. "Good. And the sister? How much of a fight didshe put up?" Marco chuckled. "I've heard she’s no fan of being told what to do.”
"It seems she understands family obligations." My Pakhan slipped his hands into his pockets. "Although, she did seem a little put out at the prospect of marriage."
Marco's smile turned predatory. “That's good.” He looked at me. “Do you think she suspects anything?” There was something off in his voice that I couldn’t quite place.
I shook my head. “Nyet.”
“When’s the wedding?”
I had no idea. It was the one detail we hadn’t discussed because neither of us planned to go through with it. “Those details are still being worked out. It’s a busy time of year for a church or venue.”
“Just make sure I get an invitation.”
Pasha gave a nod. "I'll make sure you do."
"And that your bride doesn’t get cold feet. Cold feet are such a… tragedy.” His lips curled, and for a moment, something shifted, like the birth of a darker idea. “Actually, I would like to amend the plan slightly. I want Lucas and Thea alive. I want him front row when I sell her off like a brood cow. Let him die knowing he was powerless.”
The thought turned my stomach. I shoved my hands into my pockets, where the urge to draw a blade was so strong it pulsed in my fingers. If he touched her, he wouldn’t live long enough to regret it.
No one touched what was mine.
The violent reaction surprised me. I liked Thea. Enjoyed her company, but claiming her was not only premature, it was fruitless. This could go nowhere. Not when I knew she would never trust me.
“Consider the plan altered,” Pasha said.
“Good. Meeting’s adjourned.” The video feed went dead.
Marco’s men nodded and headed to the exit.
I walked with Pasha out of the building and said nothing until we were safely in the car. “When we find out his decision, I’ll let Lucas know,” Pasha said. “What will you do to keep the victims from being taken by their buyers?”
“No one can leave until it’s over. A few days before the auction, we plant the idea that there’s a snitch and that leaving the girls where they arewould be the best way to prevent anyone from alerting the authorities.”
Pasha nodded. “Good. Marco was paranoid enough that he didn’t risk his presence at the warehouse, so that makes me think it won’t be hard to play on that fear.”
“Da.”
We rode a few blocks in silence until Pasha cleared his voice. “So, how did the date really go?”
It was Pasha, and he knew me better than anyone. Marco may not have seen my visceral reaction, but my best friend did. “Good.”
“Is she everything you thought she’d be?”
With a sigh, a smile formed on my lips. “And more. She’s… perfect.” I looked at him. “I’ve never met a woman like her before. Thea is everything I’ve ever wanted. I know if something happened, she could take care of herself.”
“I can also take care of myself, Nazar.”
“You can, but I gave you my life. My loyalty is to you. It will always be that way, and she would understand that, unlike most women.”
Pasha exhaled heavily. “My friend, if you think you can find happiness with her, pursue it. My opportunity diedwith Rada.”
Voicing it would have led to a disagreement, but I knew Pasha would have a second chance.
“You have my blessing to see where it goes should you decide to.”
“Thank you, but I need to focus on the current situation with Marco.” Anything more than sticking to the plan would be an unneeded distraction. If Marco were to get suspicious, we’d need to be prepared.
Once again,I walked into Lykos. Lucas and his siblings were the only ones privy to the plan. Their extended family would find out today about Lucas’s plans for his sister.
